The Single Mom Sat Alone at Her Sister’s Wedding Until Chicago’s Most Feared Man Asked Her to Pretend She Was His Wife

By mid-afternoon, Lily was safely back at the estate, coloring in her room, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around her. Giovanni returned shortly after, his expression thunderous.

He had heard about Tyler’s call from Marco.

"I will put an end to this," Giovanni growled, pacing the length of their master bedroom. "Matteo is hiding in a safehouse in Cicero. He thinks he can use a pathetic worm like Tyler to destroy what I've built? I’ll tear his throat out myself."

"No, Gio! That’s exactly what they want!" Jessica stepped in front of him, grabbing his lapels. "Look at me. If you go after Matteo with violence, the FBI will arrest you. If you touch Tyler, the court will declare you an unfit environment for Lily. They are baiting you. They want the monster, Giovanni. Don't give it to them."

Giovanni stopped pacing, looking down at her. His amber eyes were wild with a primal urge to protect his family. "Then what do I do, Jessica? Sit back and let them take our daughter? Let them ruin our name?"

"No. We play their game, but we play it smarter," Jessica said, her voice steady and resolute. "You are a legitimate businessman now. We use the law, we use public relations, and we use the one thing Tyler has always been susceptible to: greed."

Giovanni stared at her, a slow, admiring smile spreading across his face despite the tension. "You really are my queen, aren't you?"

"I learned from the best," she said, leaning up to kiss him. "But we have to act fast. Tyler is desperate. Vanessa has a newborn baby, and from what we saw at the wedding, they are living in poverty. Tyler didn't partner with Matteo out of loyalty; he did it for survival. We need to offer him an alternative."

"An alternative?" Giovanni questioned. "I'm not giving that bastard a single dime."

"Not directly," Jessica explained. "But we can make him realize that Matteo is going to kill him the moment he is no longer useful. We need to show Tyler that he is holding a live grenade, and the pin has already been pulled."

Before they could formulate a plan, the house intercom buzzed. Marco’s voice came through, urgent.